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NOVEMBER HOLIDAYS by Kathy Wolfe

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When we think of November holidays, Thanksgiving most frequently comes to mind. But there are several other unusual observances you may not know about. Tidbits brings you up to date on a few others worth noting. • Folks around the world band together every 11th month to celebrate “No-Shave November,” when they toss their razors aside for 30 days. Do you know the reason behind this observance? It began in Australia in 2003 as “Movember,” a campaign to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancers. In the last 12 years, the movement has grown to 21 countries. Participants are urged to show off their mustaches, goatees, or what have you, and then to donate what they would have spent on hair grooming to their country’s cancer society for research. In the U.S., prostate cancer accounts for about 5% of all cancer deaths. Leaders of the foundation hope that men will be asked why they have a beard, which can promote conversations about men’s health. • Most of us are probably unaware there is a National Button Society, let alone National Button Day! The society was formed in 1938 for all who enjoyed preserving, studying, collecting, and crafting with buttons, and November 16 was designated National Button Day. The organization boasts 3,000 members on four continents.

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Page 2 NOVEMBER HOLIDAYS (continued): • November 10 has been designated Sesame Street Day in honor of the premiere of this popular educational program on that day in 1969. Now the most widely-viewed children’s program in the world, it has aired in upwards of 120 countries, with more than 74 million American viewers. About 8 million Americans tune in every week. Sesame Street was the brainstorm of Joan Cooney, a public TV documentary producer, with the goal of entertaining preschoolers while educating them, particularly underprivileged children. She hired puppeteer Jim Henson to create characters such as Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch. Tests conducted after one year on the air showed that the more kids watched the program, the more they knew, an average of a 19% increase in general knowledge. • Every year, the third Thursday of November is designated The Great American Smokeout, when all Americans are urged to stop smoking. The challenge is only for 24 hours (this year it’s November 19), but it is the hope of the American Cancer Society that the decision will last forever. The event had its beginnings in 1970, when a Randolph, Massachusetts man named Arthur Mullaney asked people to give up cigarettes for one day and donate the money saved to the local high school’s scholarship fund. A similar campaign was held in Minnesota a few years later, and in 1976, the American Cancer Society had its first official Smokeout in San Francisco. The Society reminds citizens that tobacco causes more than 5 million deaths every year, and that the life expectancy for a smoker is 10 years less than that of a non-smoker.

Hero Dog Exposes Puppy Mills DEAR PAW’S CORNER: This year, the American Humane Association chose Harley, a scrappy, one-eyed Chihuahua, as the 2015 Hero Dog. Its decision calls attention to the stark realities of puppy mills, one of which Harley was rescued from. Harley had significant health issues when he was rescued, and he lost an eye when his cage was power-washed with him in it. Despite this, he retained a strong spirit and has become a beacon for other puppy mill dogs. The “Harley to the Rescue” campaign inspired by him (http:// milldogrescue.org/harley-to-the-rescue/) has saved close to 600 puppy mill dogs. Can you let people know about the AHA’s Hero Dog, Harley? -- Ginny, via e-mail DEAR GINNY: I sure can! Harley’s story also can be found at the AHA Hero Dog page: http:// www.herodogawards.org/hda2015vote-harley. He was chosen from a finalist field of eight exemplary dogs, including service and military dogs, and other rescued pets that have become an inspiration to pet advocates. Unlike responsible breeders, puppy mills have destructive breeding practices, and care can be brutal: for example, they’ll attempt to produce as many litters of popular dog breeds

as possible, exhausting and often physically abusing breeding dogs, selling the best and mistreating the rest. Mill dogs often are kept in tiny, dirty cages, with little to no medical care. Puppy mill rescues gain access to and liberate such dogs, try to have the mills shut down, and provide care and rehabilitation for the rescued dogs. They’ll also try to find homes for dogs that are able to be adopted, but sadly, many are unable to live with a family. Hopefully, through legislation and continued vigilance, puppy mills can become a thing of the past.

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ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Deciding to work out that pesky problem (even though you might have been bored, bored, bored with it) should be paying off right about now. Expect to hear some very welcome news very soon. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Unexpected news might cause you to rethink a previous conclusion. Don’t be bullheaded and try to bluff it out. Make the needed change, and then take a bow for your objectivity. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Money matters should be considered as you continue to work out your holiday plans. This is a good time to scout out discounts before demand for them outstrips their availability. CANCER ( June 21 to July 22) A calm period early in the week helps you complete most, if not all, of your unfinished tasks. A new project appears by midweek, and this one could carry some big career potential. LEO ( July 23 to August 22) Positive results from recent ventures continue to pump up those self-esteem levels, making you Fabulous Felines feel you can tackle any challenge anyone wants to throw at you. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Family and friends might feel neglected because of your almost total focus on a project. Try to rework your schedule so you can have time for both your loved ones and your work. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Don’t

be surprised if you suddenly hear from someone from your past who wants to contact you about the possibility of renewing a long-dormant (if not dead) relationship. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) This is a good time to check over what went right and what went wrong with recent efforts. This can provide valuable lessons for projects that will be coming up soon. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Dealing with people who feel they’re always right about everything might be a problem for some. But the savvy Archer should be able to deflate their oversize egos. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) This week favors a balance between the demands of your work and your need for fun timeouts. Taking breaks helps restore and keep your energy levels high. AQUARIUS ( January 20 to February 18) There could be an occasional setback in what you’re working on. But look at them as lessons on how to do better as you move along. More supporters turn up to cheer you on. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Although a more positive aspect influences this week’s course, you still need to be sure that those who will work with you have no reason to work against you. Good luck. BORN THIS WEEK: You believe in keeping your promises. It’s not always easy to do, but somehow you do it.

NOVEMBER HOLIDAYS (continued): • International Tongue Twister Day falls on November 8th this year. The official definition of a tongue twister is “a phrase containing a combination of alliteration and rhyme strategically designed to be stumbled over.” Some of the more familiar ones include “rubber baby buggy bumpers” and “She sells sea shells by the seashore.” Most of us know that “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” but were you aware that Peter Piper was a real person? Pierre Poivre, a one-armed French pirate and horticulturist who lived in the mid1700s, was known for stealing spice nuts, known as peppers, from Dutch trade ships and planting them in his garden. The Guinness Book of World Records states that the English language’s most difficult tongue twister is, “The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick.” • November 8th is also X-Ray Day, commemorating the day in 1895 when German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen accidentally discovered the X-ray in his laboratory. While experimenting with passing high-voltage current through a glass gas tube, Roentgen observed that the beam turned a screen 9 feet (2.7 m) away a strange greenish fluorescent color, even though the tube was covered in heavy black cardboard. Realizing that objects could be penetrated by the rays, he made an X-ray of his wife’s hand that clearly showed its bones. Roentgen was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901 for his discovery. • November 19 is also Rocky & Bullwinkle Day, to commemorate the original premiere day of Rocky & His Friends (later known as The Bullwinkle Show) on that day in 1959. The animated series, which featured Bullwinkle the moose and his flying squirrel friend Rocket J. Squirrel (Rocky for short), aired from 1959 to 1964.

Page 4 NOVEMBER HOLIDAYS (continued):

First, on the exterior, what kind of siding is it? Is it batten board, is it old cedar shake, is it the new hardy board type, vinyl or metal siding, or is it asbestos? Does it need paint? Can I paint it? If you don’t know, start learning the difference. There are different ways to deal with problems on these types of materials. For instance, batten board and other basic siding like that is pretty easy to find. You can likely cut out a sheet or a side of a house and replace it.

Rogue Valley Real Estate This Section highlights a posting by “BiggerPockets.com” (Reprinted with permission)

By Nathan Brooks on October 25, 2015

For the next post or two, I want to take a little more time on some specific things you can do as you are walking, viewing, and deciding on making an offer on a property. There is a lot of nuance, little things that can become big problems, and many ways to deal with them. Buying properties is awesome. It’s a great way to make money, and it’s also an opportunity for disaster if you miss something. So, let’s first explore the exterior of the property. What to Look for on the Exterior of Do I LIKE the look of the property as I pull up to it? Does it have curb appeal? Do the neighbors keep up their properties? Does it seem like a nice neighborhood to live in? Now, there is obviously a caveat to these first few questions. The house might be the worst one on the block. The gutters might be hanging down. The paint might be peeling off or shingles might be out of place on the roof. Take a mental note and write it on your notepad or in your Evernote note for that property. But overall, remember to ask yourself, “What can I do to fix this problem? If it’s ugly, why? Rough looking?Why?”

To Your Good Health By Keith Roach, M.D.

Do Prednisone Benefits Outweigh Its Risks?

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 80-year-old woman who always had excellent health until about four years ago, when I was diagnosed as having bronchiectasis. Since then, I have had to use an albuterol solution, plus an Airway Vest, in periodic daily treatments in order to continue breathing. A few weeks ago, my doctor prescribed 10 mg of prednisone daily in addition, and the results have been amazing. Instead of five to six inhaler treatments each 24 hours, I need only two or three, and (the best result) I can sleep through the night! Previously, I woke every three to four hours nightly for a treatment with the inhaler and vest, and I often slept poorly

If it is just rough looking down the bottom edge of the back or side of the house, you could consider cutting out rot, replacing it with whatever non-rotting material you want to use, and then do a 1-4 hardy board or other type of trim around the bottom of the siding. These will not only complete any problem and keep it from getting wet — therefore not rotting out anymore — but it looks very nice (and you can paint body or trim color depending on style of house). If you do need to paint the exterior and have also replaced anything that is bare wood, make sure once you have power washed the exterior and scraped the paint that you prime the bare spots before you paint. Use a good quality paint, and do the job right the first time. Why do it twice, when you can do it once? Sponsored by:

afterward. My prednisone dosage has been reduced to 5 mg daily, and although I know it is a (possibly dangerous) corticosteroid, I dread the prospect of going back to the days of arranging my life around the use of the albuterol inhalers, as well as feeling so much less able to enjoy what life I have left. What would be the result of continuing a minimal dosage of prednisone (5 mg or less per day)? What alternatives do I have? -- C.B. ANSWER: This is a good question, not just for bronchiectasis (a scarring condition of the airways, so they can’t clear mucus properly), but for the many, many diseases treated with prednisone. Long-term use of high-dose prednisone (and similar steroids, such as cortisone and methylprednisolone, or Medrol) can cause diabetes in susceptible individuals, and it raises blood pressure, weakens bones, increases hunger and causes weight gain in most, causes thinning and other skin problems and, in high doses, causes confusion or psychosis. It is indeed a dangerous drug. However, as bad as it is, it sometimes is so effective at improving the disease it’s treating that the benefit is worth the risk of all these

• Bullwinkle received his name from the name of a Berkeley, California car dealership called Bullwinkel Motors. The duo lived in the fictional Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, which was loosely based on the real city of International Falls, Minnesota. They battled the Russian-esque spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. • Happy Area Code Day! In the early 1950s, the Bell Telephone System used human operators to direct long-distance calls to their destinations. However, a change was on the on the way when the North American Numbering Plan was devised, a plan that assigned area codes across the continent. New Jersey received the first area code, 201, followed by the District of Columbia, which was assigned 202. The first customerdialed telephone call using area codes was made on November 10, 1951, from Englewood, New Jersey, to Alameda, California. • You probably didn’t know that November 15 is National Bundt Pan Day, a day set aside to honor this ring-shaped, fluted cake pan. Inspired by the European fruit cake known as Gugelhupf, the pan was invented by David Dalquist, founder of the Nordic Ware Company, in 1950. He first called it a “bund” pan, from the German word for “gathering,” but added a “t” at the end for trademark protection. There wasn’t much enthusiasm about the tube pan until the 1960s, when Texas housewife Ella Helfrich concocted a recipe for the Tunnel of Fudge cake using her Bundt pan, and was awarded second place in the annual Pillsbury Bake-off Contest, taking home a $5,000 prize. Since then, more than 60 million Bundt pans have been sold.

side effects. There are some conditions where the prednisone has to be permanent, although we are finding more and more alternatives to reduce or replace the prednisone. The body makes its own steroid, cortisone, at the daily equivalent of roughly 5 mg of prednisone. At that dose or less, the risks of prednisone are much less than at the high dose of 40 mg, 60 mg or greater used for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. If you have to stay on this dose, it sounds like the benefit outweighs the risk. One alternative you haven’t mentioned is steroid inhalers. For asthma and sometimes for bronchiectasis, steroid inhalers, which use far more potent steroids than prednisone, can have as good a benefit. They are poorly absorbed, and as such have little or no systemic side effects, like raising blood sugar and blood pressure. If you are doing well on a 5 mg dose of prednisone, you would likely do well on a steroid inhaler. *** DR. ROACH WRITES: I wrote recently about loss of eyebrow hair. One reader wrote in to tell me that in her case, a magnesium supplement solved her problem entirely. I did find that magnesium deficiency can cause hair loss, so it may be worth a try.

Page 5

Don’t Get Distracted!

NOTEWORTHY INVENTORS:

ELISHA OTIS

The name of Otis conjures up a vision of elevators for most folks, but there was much more to this inventor than just that apparatus. Here are the facts on American industrialist and inventor Elisha Otis. • As a young married man in Vermont, Elisha Otis designed and built his own gristmill, grinding grains into flour. When it failed to earn a profit, he converted the operation into a sawmill. Unfortunately, the sawmill was a bust as well, and Otis started building wagons and carriages. Tragically, his young wife passed away, leaving him with an infant and an eight-year-old. • At 34, Otis had remarried and moved to Albany, New York, where he worked as a doll maker. He tired quickly of the job, and took a position making bedsteads for four-poster beds. While working for that company in Albany, Otis set to work inventing a machine that could turn bedsteads four times faster than doing it manually. Production skyrocketed to 50 units per day. Otis was paid a $500 bonus, enabling him to start up his own business. In the meantime, he was also devising plans for a safety brake for trains and an automatic bread baking oven. • Tasked with converting a former sawmill into a bedstead factory of his own, Otis was discouraged with the amount of garbage and rubble he had to clean up. Much of it had to be moved to the upper floors of the factory. Otis and his sons went to work devising a safety elevator for the project. His invention wasn’t the elevator, but rather a safety device that prevented the elevator from falling if the hoisting cable were to fail. The machine featured toothed wooden guide rails that fit into opposite sides of the elevator shaft. He then fitted a spring to the top of the elevator with the hoisting cables running through it.

Cell phones are becoming more common every day. People use them in restaurants, stores and even while driving. According to many experts, using a cell phone while driving, even a hands-free model, is dangerous. Cell phones are just one of many driving distractions. A wide range of things can distract you while driving. Some of these include: • Hanging items. Anything hanging from the front or rear view mirrors can obstruct the view. • Damaged or dirty windows. Windows with cracks and other blemishes hinder visibility. Repair damaged windows and wash the windows often. • Droopy headliner. Dangling headliners can also obstruct the view. Keep your view clear by reattaching the headliner or purchasing a new one. • Tattered or frayed car mats. Too many drivers have gotten their heels caught in a torn, frayed car mat. • Worn windshield wiper blades. Wiper blades that are worn out often clatter and smear the windshield. Improve your visibility and eliminate the noise by replacing them often. In addition to the items above, certain situations can distract you while driving. Some of these include

Higher Medicare Part B Costs

As it stands now, if Congress doesn’t act immediately, many of us will be faced with a big increase in our Medicare Part B cost in 2016. Even if Congress acts to stop the increase, consider this fair warning that it could happen in the future. Here are some of the figures: Most of us currently pay $104.90 for Medicare Part B, and it’s taken directly out of Social Security checks before we even see the money. The new costs for many of us are slated to jump up 52 percent, up to $159.30. The deductible is likely to jump from $147 to $223. Seventy percent of us fall under the “hold harmless” rule, which means there will be no increase because there likely will be no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in 2016. Those

Act Would Hold VA’s Feet to the Fire Here’s a real heartbreaker: Some 300,000 veterans have died before their claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs were even finished. The records were in a batch of 866,879 pending files, although it couldn’t be determined if the veterans were seeking health care. More than 6 million records were found classified as locked, for no apparent reason. Of those locked records, over 770,000 were found to be veterans who had applied for care, but because of the locked status, it couldn’t be determined whether they got care. Many of the records had been filed as pending more than five years ago. One veteran’s record had been pending for 14 years, another for 9 years. At least 10,000 applications were dumped, without a

• Eating. You may be tempted to pick up some food at a drive-through and eat on your way to your destination. Be careful if you do! Many a driver has lost control of the wheel while trying to eat and drive. • Gawking. When something unusual is taking place on the side of the road--Don’t get so caught up in the action though that you stop paying attention to the road. • Grooming. Applying cosmetics or fixing your hair spells disaster when driving--pull over to the side of the road and do it. • Making adjustments. Adjustments, like changing the radio station or turning up the air conditioning--Keep your eyes on the road when making adjustments. • Talking--You need to be able to hear what is going on around you. If it’s too noisy, you may miss important cues, like a driver slamming on the brakes or an ambulance blaring a siren. Depending upon your frame of mind, these items and situations may or may not be distracting. Use good judgment and common sense when driving and be wary of distractions. If you find that something is disturbing your concentration, pull over to the side of the road and resolve the problem right then and there. Driving has enough risks. Don’t add to them! We’re here when you need us~ Kelly’s Automotive Service, where we service your vehicle, but take care of you. ~ Safe Travels, Dave Kelly

people are covered. It’s the other 30 percent who will shoulder the increased costs of Medicare for everyone else. (It’s been calculated that if the costs were spread equally, everyone would pay $120.70 per month.) Those who will pay extra: * Anyone who signs up for Medicare for the first time in 2016, * People who are direct billed for their premiums, * Those enrolled in Medicare but not Social Security because they’re still working. AARP and more than 60 other groups across the country have written to various senators to ask them to intervene. Watch the news to see how this turns out, and watch out for it happening in the future. Meanwhile, if you’re just signing up for 2016 Medicare, remember that your cost will be calculated based on your 2014 tax return. If you’ve had a life change that lowered your income, ask Social Security to use more recent income data.

reason being determined or documented. It’s a nightmare. What we need is the VA Accountability Act of 2015. This bill, passed in the House of Representatives in July, would give some teeth to the ability of the VA to remove or demote employees “based on performance or misconduct, and for other purposes.” The White House is against it, and even issued a threat to veto the legislation if it lands on the president’s desk. (One of the problems stated by the White House policy memo was that it would take away rights to appeal. However, the bill itself says that an employee will have the right to appeal.) The Act also would give increased protection to whistleblowers and employees who speak up about wrongdoing. In too many cases, good employees at the VA (they’re in the majority) fail to say anything because of retribution or the threat that they’ll be fired, and they’re stuck working for bad managers who hold axes over their heads. Here’s another grim factoid: govtrack.us gives the Act only a 15 percent chance of being enacted.

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St. Anne Catholic School in Grants Pass has me coming in twice a week to teach Band to Gr-3-5 students. I love their enthusiasm and the noise level! But I have to say, there is nothing funnier than a 3rd. grade saxophone player trying to play it for the first time--some look as if it will bite them if they dare touch the mouthpiece! Drummers, I find, are convinced “louder is more correct.” Beginning trumpeters rarely need to be encouraged to “blow through the horn.” All of them know that playing recognizable Christmas songs by December is an impossibility right now. If you have young students, please encourage their desire to be in Band, Orchestra or Choir. The skills and discipline they learn will serve them throughout life...plus, they will have a ball!

Penny Postcards Q: I have a shoebox full of older postcards. All of them have penny postage stamps. My question is: How long were postcard rates 1 cent, and when did they go to 2 cents? -- Art, Des Moines, Iowa A: Postcards could be mailed for 1 cent from 1873 until 1917. The rate was increased that year because of World War I. In 1919, with the war’s end, the rate dropped back to a penny, where it remained until 1952. One of the better postcard clubs is the Tucson Post

Card Exchange, with members throughout the country. Contact person is Joan Gentry, 820 Via Lucitas, Tucson, AZ 85718; and joangentry@ msn.com. *** Q: I have glass bowl that an appraiser told me several years ago was made by the Lyons Glass Company. I have tried to research the company but have not been able to do so. Can you help me? -- Betty, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma A: The Lyons Cut Glass Company was started in 1903 in Lyons, New York. The company purchased blanks from the Union Glass Works in Massachusetts and several other companies. Production was limited and the company closed in December of that same year, reopened in 1904 and closed once again in 1905. As you might imagine, pieces are rare. This information was found in one of my favorite references, “Glass A-Z” by David J. Shotwell and published

by Krause Books. *** Q: I have a Buick automobile from 1952 that I think is a classic. I am in the process of restoring it. Is there a club you can recommend? -Steve. St. Charles, Missouri A: The Buick Club of America is one of the most active and should be helpful. Contact is P.O. Box 360775, Columbus, OH 43236; and buickcluboffice@aol.com. Check out the club’s website at www.buickclub.org. *** Q: I have a salt-and-pepper shaker set that are miniature 7-UP soda bottles. I got them as a present during the late 1940s. How much are they worth? -- Sally, Westminster, Colorado A: I found your shakers referenced in the “Soda Pop Collectibles Price Guide” by Allan Petretti. Petretti states that the set is worth about $40.

Page 7

1. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital city of Australia? 2. MOVIES: Who won the 1961 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in “West Side Story”? 3. MUSIC: Who is honored in the song “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John? 4. HISTORY: Who called Dec. 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy”? 5. NATURAL WORLD: What are the seeds of castor bean plants used to produce? 6. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “Barry Lyndon”? 7. ENTERTAINERS: What famous actor who once played James Bond also was a contestant in the 1950 Mr. Universe contest? 8. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: In “The Twelve Days of Christmas” carol, what present was sent on the 11th day? 9. TELEVISION: When did the award-winning kids’ show “Sesame Street” go on the air? 10. DISCOVERIES: Who is credited with discovering quarks?

1. Who was the first designated hitter to hit a home run in 1973, the debut year for the DH in the American League? 2. How many managers did the Chicago Cubs have during the 1990s? 3. Entering 2015, who held the Ohio State record for most TD passes in one game? 4. Of Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, which one attempted more 3-point shots during his NBA career? 5. Which goaltender has recorded the most saves in a season for the Tampa Bay Lightning? 6. During the 1990s, three drivers won the Indianapolis 500 after starting in the pole position. Name two of them. 7. Who was the last Japanese men’s tennis player to reach the semifinals of the French Open?

Spooky Gloves for Halloween

ELISHA OTIS (continued):

• Otis’ elevator was guided by the cables, but if they broke, the spring mechanism was thrown outward into the notches, keeping the cab from falling. When it appeared to be successful, he and his sons founded the Union Elevator Works, and he sold his first safety elevator in 1853. • It wasn’t until the 1854 New York World’s Fair that Otis’ contraption gained notoriety. In a daring demonstration at the Crystal Palace exhibition building, Otis stood on a platform high in the air, and ordered the rope cut. The platform fell just a few inches before Otis’ safety device stopped its descent. Orders for his elevator began pouring in, with the numbers doubling every year. Otis perfected a three-way steam valve engine, which could switch the elevator between up and down as well as stop the cab rapidly. In 1857, the first safety elevator for passenger service was installed in a New York City department store. • Otis’other patents included railroad car trucks and brakes, an oscillating steam engine, a steam plow, and a baking oven. His success was cut short when he contracted diphtheria in 1861 and perished from the disease at age 49 in 1861. Sadly, he didn’t live to see one of his safety elevators installed in Paris’ Eiffel Tower for the 1889 World’s Fair. The Otis Elevator Company gained further notoriety when their elevators were installed in the Chrysler Building in 1930, at the time the world’s tallest building, and the Empire State Building in 1931, which grabbed the title from Chrysler.

It’s the unexpected scare of sighting ghosts and goblins, hearing blood-curdling screams and spooky music, and tasting a cup of witches’ brew that make for a memorable Halloween night. But in addition to the sights, sounds and tastes, don’t forget the hairraising “feel” of the holiday that can really give the shivers. Remember pumpkin-carving time and your preschooler’s reaction when she reached her hands in a pumpkin for the first time and discovered the cold, squishy, slippery seeds oozing through her fingers? Remember the feel of cobwebs sticking to your face as you cautiously crawled through a haunted house as a kid, or putting your hand in a bowl of eyeballs, which you later learned were peeled grapes? Get into the “feel” of Halloween with your kids and create a spooky Halloween glove that looks and feels absolutely creepy. Wear it to hand out candy when trick-or-treaters come by, and watch the look of surprise when you give party guests an unforgettable handshake. It’s the perfect excuse to act like a kid again! Create costume gloves in minutes: Creepy Hand Look for a big garden or work glove. Scout around for irregular or bumpy odds and ends like Spanish moss, tree bark, buttons, sandpaper and pieces of a sponge. Glue the items randomly all over the top and underside of the glove. Rub your hand over the glove; if it feels creepy, it’s ready to wear. Critter Hand Glue plastic insects and bugs, and rubber worms and snakes from your kids’ toy box on the fingertips and top of a glove. Wear it with any costume, if you dare. Glamour Hand For the not-so-spooky, create a high-fashion glove made from a colorful garden glove. Paint the fingertips with red fabric paint in squeeze bottles for “polished fingernails,” glue a craft gem on one finger for a “ring,” paint a wristwatch near the cuff, and glue lace or glow-in-the-dark tape around the edge. For fun, wear this glove on one hand and the creepy glove on the other for a “Beauty and the Beast” look. Punchbowl Hand (Extra Tip) Fill a disposable plastic deli/food-service glove with water. Twist tie it closed. Freeze. To use, peel off the glove and set the ice hand in a bowl of punch to float around.

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PLAN YOUR EPITAPH

One of the more unusual November observances takes place on November 2. Plan Your Own Epitaph Day is the day set aside for you to determine what your tombstone should say about your life. Take a look at how some folks chose to be remembered. • The word “epitaph” has its origins in the Greek and Latin meaning “a funeral oration” or “over tomb.” Some epitaphs testify of the deceased’s character, whether good or bad, while others are designed to make the reader smile or contemplate his own mortality. • Merv Griffin, host of a popular talk show for 23 years, passed away in 2007 at age 82. His humorous tombstone contradicted the phrase he had uttered thousands of the times over the years, with the epitaph reading, “I will NOT be right back after this message.” • Often referred to as “the man with 1,000 voices,” Mel Blanc, the voice behind our favorite cartoon characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, and Yosemite Sam, chose a line popularized by another of his characters, Porky Pig, as his final sign-off. The engraving on his tombstone appropriately reads, “That’s all folks.” • Some epitaphs speak of the reason behind the entombed’s death, such as “First a cough carried me off. Then a coffin they carried me off in,” or “She always said her feet were killing her, but nobody believed her,” and the classic, “I told you I was sick.” • Some folks allowed their next-of-kin to pen their epitaph, and may not have liked the results. Consider what one husband had engraved on his wife’s tombstone: “To follow you I’m not content. How do I know which way you went?” Another husband declared, “Here lies my wife. I bid her goodbye. She rests in peace and now so do I.” • The mother of outlaw Jesse James chose the epitaph for her 34-year-old son’s grave, “Murdered by a traitor and a coward whose name is not worthy to appear here.” She was referring to an unarmed Jesse being shot in the back of the head by a member of James’ own

1. Minnesota’s Tony Oliva, against Oakland. 2. Six -- Don Zimmer (1990-91), Joe Altobelli (‘91), Jim Essian (‘91), Jim Lefebvre (1992-93), Tom Trebelhorn (1994) and Jim Riggleman (1995-99). 3. Kenny Guiton threw six against Florida A&M in 2013, and J.T. Barrett did the same against Kent State in 2014. 4. Barkley attempted 2,020 (making 538); Jordan, 1,778 (making 581). 5. Nikolai Khabibulin had 1,761 saves in the 2001-02 season. 6. Rick Mears (1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994) and Arie Luyendyk (1997). 7. Jiro Sato, in 1933.

gang. The name she considered unworthy was Bob Ford. • Tombstone, Arizona’s Boot Hill Cemetery contains the remains of another outlaw, whose clever inscription reads, “Here lies Lester Moore, shot 4 times with a .44, No Les No More.” Another Boot Hill grave has the epitaph, “Here lies George Johnson, hanged by mistake 1882. He was right, we was wrong, but we strung him up and now he’s gone.” • How about a play on words on a surname or occupation? A British lawyer named John Strange chose his inscription to read, “Here lies an honest lawyer, and that is Strange.” A dentist opted for “Stranger! Approach this spot with gravity! John Brown is filling his last cavity!” Johnny Yeast, a Ruidoso, New Mexico, gentleman’s gravestone is etched, “Here Lies Johnny Yeast. Pardon me for not rising.” • One young lady took advantage of an opportunity to advertise: “Sacred to the memory of my husband John Barnes who died January 3, 1803. His comely young widow, age 23, has many qualifications of a good wife, and yearns to be comforted.” • A tombstone in Scotland reminds us all of the inevitable: “Consider, friend, as you pass by: As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, you too shall be. Prepare, therefore, to follow me.”

Answers 1. Canberra 2. Rita Moreno 3. Marilyn Monroe 4. Franklin Roosevelt, asking for a declaration of war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 5. Ricin, a toxic poison 6. William Thackeray 7. Sean Connery 8. 11 pipers piping 9. 1969 10. Murray GellMann